Ceredo advance. [volume] (Ceredo, W. Va.) 1885-1939, 1887-12-23
AUNT and Niece,
OR.
The Mistress Of
Ha azelwOOd.
ny GERALD CARLTON.


so, With the tenderness Of the eentlest
wouian. and the skill Of an able physician.
he watched over his pstient night and day.
Never had he fought with disease SO val
lantly as he fought with Wills fever.
II Was a fierce struggle. and more than
oncs he was nearly acknowledging 10 HIM
self It's hopciossness. but the thought that
he would Jet succ ed in saving the Young
mans lie. made h m re urn to the CHASTITY
battle with renewed yieor and fresh hope.
Regarding her brother. Emily's death oc-
casioned h m iittlc uneas,ncss.
He had buried himself too deeply in the
plot which he had AIMED for producing
from Miss Woutworths deathlike sleep
thousands OF gllttering pounds, to be 10
any extent affected by H.
Indirectly. however. Emily death did In.
huence his plan. ipasmuch as II produced
Wills fever, h 3 de.ifium. his letter. aud
Miss Bensleys reply.
IL WAS necessary for jacks succcss that
Ada should be decoyed from Hazoiwood
House,
This was no easy matter. though he right-
~ conJectured that, given access 20 her, lao
could make her diseased mind subscrsicnt
TO his cunning.
Access, unknown 10 Miss Bentley. was
evidently the first important thing. To this
end he h q employed the beggar to watch
hazelwood House. since knowledge OF
the movements its Inmates was nocos-
sary, before he could ascertain by what
means ciandesiine interview could lie
brought about
The beggar, however. In watching Hazel
wood House. had learned little that was
likely To further his employers plans
Miss Wentworth WAX always accompanied
by her aunt-fo he had reported o Jack
Graham; but he believed that she OCCASION
ally strolied through the grounds a one
Upon this report Jack had written an
ANONYMOUS note TO Ada. with his left hand.
which set forth tiystcriousll that the happi-
ness OF her aunt depended on hcr granting
secret interview with the writer; that sho
was to tell the bearer the time aud place
that wouid best suit her that she was TO
come alone, and observe the slrictest Sc
crecy. etc.
We already know that that part Of the
scheme failed att srly. aud that Miss Went
worth led from the boggnr whom he pre-
sented the letter
When Will was lying In n state of uucon-
seriousness IA Jacs 0rahanis lodging. Miss
Bentley's letter arrived.
lie opened, read, and carefully closed IL.
IL was, from first TO last, oquent OF the
slsterly friendship that That lady bore TO
Will.
There wns, however. paragraph toward
It's end, n portion Of which Jack deemed II
worth his while 10 make copy in his pock-
ct book
The paragraph ran as follows.
In your present trouble cannot hope 10
int rest YOU In 10y concerns; yet think
you will find place for some lite pity for
my niece. see no likelihood yet of the
dissipation OF what You torn her deiuslon.
That dreadful caimness remains upon her.
aud feel almost tempted 10 writo that it
has become more ap areut since solr dis
appcarauce. On one point have no doubt
her health h sensibly worse than when YOU
were with US. She Is incapable OF any but
the slightest cxeftion, aud complains fro.
quently OF an acute pain In the head. You
see. my dear Mr. Tryfoll, gr ef Is divided
IA equal parts. and protest your share is
not heavier than mine. One small item OF
news, and ] have done with Hazelwood
House. Our library IL no moro. At Adae
most earnest request, II baE been converted
into hef sleeping apartment. You will un-
derBiand this freak OF hers. She declares
she - happier IN that 70 m, and that shs
sleeps more tInnqusIly there. ] have not,
Of course. acquainted her with your very
sad bereavement. it would, / think, be
highly impTudent 10 DO 80. Your happiness
is the one thought Of her life hope all
this does not weary you, thought should be
glad 10 bear that Il had distressed you, for
the consequences of long mental coucen-
trRtion are often serious. Dear Mr.. Try
Toll, ~ not your sorrow very selfish thingf
Why are You sadg Because IL has pleased
God 10 dsnppoint you. For whom are you
weepingf Not for poor little Miss Graham,
surely. for sba - happy. Your Wild grief.
then, is simply NJ the disappointment of
yonr hopes. IL Is selfish. Forgive mo; 20 .
wiz understand my motive IN writing like
this, ] am sure. ! want 70 take you from
your present unnatural self ! want You 10
be Br. Tryfoii again.
From Wills deliriOns mvings Jack had
learned much that WIS Of vnlus 70 the sue
cess Of his scheme.
To Dr. Bnnsley the patients Wild words
were nninfeihgible 10 Jack they we're Of
the utmost Significance.
From wiis deifium be learned two
most important facts:
Firstly. that the young man bal left
hazoiwOOd House because Miss Went.
worth had fallen IN love with him; aud.
secondly. that VIII loved Miss Bentey.
Truth. Jack knew. vi . mixed with iie-
ton, was veiy ike pure uuadu.tcnted
Tie difficulty Of deooying Miss Went
worth from her homo 10 longer oxisiedi H
could b. easily accomplished BY anfuily
perverted facts.
The only dificuitg that remained VS. that
Of obtaining n pfivnie interview Nifh her,
aud Jacks hne mlth inaiiod bruins soon
found way Of being successful
While wis fever waa ~ its height. be
wrote % Miss Bentley thus.
"DEAn N4DAN letter. bearing the
Ponimrd posimafk. has lately arrived here
FOR Nc. IFyf0ii J eoaciudo that letter ia
from you. AZ lt may require innmediate
attention. ] beg 60 inform You. roRrstfuily.
that SIT Tryfoii is incapable ~ reading ~
Tie IL suffering from most severe fever.
which. I griete 10 sny. shows symptoms Of
proving fatal ! am. dear madam, ETC..
go.
This lettcr produced exactly ihe eject
on Miss Bentley which Jack had desired and
expected
ilef kind heart SEIZED when she read of
this addit onal misfortune ~ linRon thc man
for whom she had entertained 50 uarm
friendship
HIS condition was piiiable dying With 40
mother. eiaiof. 81 wife % lend 20 hm.
She told DofhinQof this 10 her niece, who,
however. noticed thst she was unusually
dressed Ind ed, Mss Bentley had never
been 20 unlike herself az when she learned
that Will was dying
She wrote 20 Ofoham by return OF post
short pole in which she begged him % tel
her whether Afr. Tryfou wanted goE any
thing; whether there bed occurred any
change 90 his condition. nad shat uas the
doctors opinion on ihf case.
Jack replied succinciif that hts poor